Italy Caps Foreign Pupils at 30% Per Class and Bans Face Coverings
Italy set a 30% cap on foreign pupils per class and banned full face coverings in schools on 24 September 2026. Reuters
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy was preparing both steps on 20 September, four days before the Cabinet decision. Reuters
A school decree on foreign students was headed to the Council of Ministers, Italy's Cabinet, meeting on Thursday. Sky TG24 That step put the classroom rules on the formal Cabinet agenda.
The government published 'Comunicato stampa del Consiglio dei Ministri n. 82' on governo.it. Palazzo Chigi According to that press release, the measures are aimed at foreign pupils who lack adequate Italian. Palazzo Chigi
The Education Ministry had signaled the cap for weeks. Its website hosts a page titled 'Valditara: pronta la circolare per mettere un tetto agli stranieri in classe' dated 4 August 2026. MIM Its 'Interviste' archive lists the same title as a La Verità interview dated 17 July 2026. MIM A press-review PDF on mim.gov.it reproducing La Verità of 4 August 2026 refers to a 30% limit in classes. MIM press review
Italy has 930,000 pupils without Italian citizenship, or 11% of all pupils. RaiNews The Northwest hosts 349,150 foreign pupils, the largest regional total. Il Sole 24 Ore
In practical terms, the cap is national but enforcement will be local. Class formation, school choice and where families live will decide where the per-class ceiling applies.
The broader context here is concentration, not the national average. An 11% national share fits under a 30% per-class limit in most classrooms. The limit matters where enrolment clusters. That math explains why one national rule can affect districts, cities and regions very differently, and why planners will watch the Northwest count closely.
Looking at what this means for implementation, two tools are now paired. One is about learning, tied to knowledge of Italian. The other is about numbers, tied to classroom makeup. A third is about discipline, tied to dress. Each needs separate guidance for headteachers. Circulars, enrolment criteria and classroom rules will set how language checks work with the 30% threshold, and how the face-covering ban works in practice.
For diplomats and policy staff, the sequence matters. Ministry interview, ministry circular, prime minister announcement, Cabinet decree. The file moved from Education Ministry messages in July and August to Meloni's commitment on 20 September and Cabinet action on 24 September. The next documents to read are the decree text and the operating circular.
